Tube joint



May 23, 1950 G. H. GAscolG'NE TUBE JOINT Filed Nov. 19, 1945 Patented May 23, 1950 D'I ascenso f TUBE'JT Geor'geHarry Gascoimswokinghamellnglnd, Appucadouivvember is', rc'srseiil Nb. 6291529* Inl Great Britain November zo I94f4 (Ck-esteso e fClaims; lf This invention relates to screwed jointin'ig' or' couplingA meanslic-:tween two* tubes? ori rodsor equivalent strcturah members.l

One' object of the invention is t'ov provide screwedV jointing: or" coupling' means suitable" fol" operating. between structural members in cases where it is inconvenient'- or impracticable' to bodily rotate onef or o'th'er of the" members being joined, or coupled together;

Another object of. the?4 invention is toi providev lmechanicallointing or couplingl mean'siembodSr- `portion associated with, the otlrierl osaid pair of' members; In theA following descriptionf and claimsthe phrase-jointing member-soiA the char: actor speciiied is intended to embrace broadly jointing meansfor interconnecting structuralv elements of these differentY kinds.

A further object ofl thef invention: is to` provide what mightbe termed-iax flush type-joint,.tliat isi where. theA tWomembers: tov be joinedi and that portion of' the means wherebyI the jointin'g; is ei'ected' all have the' same cross` sectional7 form' so that the sur-faces of tlie joined and joining. membersv are i'lushone w'itli the other. The achievement ofV this object renders theinverll-A tioni especially applicable tothey erection= ofthe' handrails and-*guard rai-ls and ofsl'eletonframe: Works for buildings or for a'mobilestruotureysuch as a, truck chassis` or a normally lxed*t orv sta# tionary structure; such ast-he bodyl of ani* article* of tubular metalv furniture". Thefabilitfy tojoin together thez several structural? fratrie`v parts or an: articleY of tubular m'etal furniture-fisfoff par` ticular valuefrornY thepoint of View ci? facilitatl5* rigurosos s detail. view 0f a medien-ation aeplied to5 cohnectingf three-1 tubular corri'rnonljunction-1 scribed' later.

Figure- 4i is a part.sectionali elevation showing' another construction' of jointing means; as apmembers? to" ai Figure' 5* is' a pictorial view? of the? anchorage' element-usediii theroonstrctionof Figure 4, and

Figur@ 6i shows? a@ solid forinof. junctionmem'- :berl to\`vhicho1`ie,Y two or'- three tubular structural "members may belconnected.

Figure" 1= illustrates al linien-typeA joint' accord"- inge to` thefinveiition, that is", one in' which' the twol joined' and interposed joining members all have the'samefdross' sectional form', which' is` a circular form inltl'edllustraitedembodiment. The' joint betWeenf-theftwoftubular" members I` andv 2 respectively' forming; .for example; partslof a hand raillor a guard rail isieieotedby meansl ofa' bolt 3') which' is -niounteclI` infthez tube I onv an anchorage element 4? soas to b capable of` rotation about its longitudinal and: alsoof controlled end= wiser movl-indentI in'or substantially' irr theA direc? tionloisaid'axis. The bolt-3f i`s`- adapted t'o screvvA into? a1` plug'7 secu-red4A to' the'ftube 2f when= rotated 4BP' bymeansxofv an: operat-ihgf devic'ef 6 which isintere ing handling. theffifame'partsf during mariu'aoa- I ture, sincelit-fi'spossible to. connect the pai'tst'olL gether after' they' have' been' plated or? otherwise surface nishedwthverylittle risk'` of damaging? the finished surface durin? assembl'y,. vs'fher'ear;` at present it isnecessa'ry'to fabricate theen'tiifVt frame;` usually by' weldingk the tubes"` together; and passthiausually cumbersome; article to the plating; or iinishing processes'.

A still further object'` of the -i'nv'en'tior-` is toi provide af jolntings moansf' Whicli may` be applied posed between? the opposed ends off said' tube's' t' andfZ.- Before tlitiibe I is joined? to'the'tube4 2^ tflole-lf.voll y isl'oose"l57 retained within th'e"` openv endif of tle@tubej If bytlfle-- anchorage fitting' Which4 is'vinthfxformaofa plus having a plain bore 4@ througlli; Wliiclifreely passesthe shaiik- 3U off tlieII 59' sition'byiiivtting or in sorhelother suitable?man nein The pi-li- 1' is#siiacedtbehind'v tli'e plug" 4" at aedistancewhich limits'-theinward'erdwise-movementi ofithe bolt -3-whichiis-ffrel3 rotatable with-'1. in said; plugfl 4r so` tlat" the' device t)I is placed; for connecting@VJ plain endeditizbe` or member-fte. it? arounds the bolt' 3f? tleastftwof o'r three; tlfnea'cls at the extremity of the bolt shank 3h project beyond the front of the device 6 when abutting against the front face oi.' the anchorage plug 4. The plug 4 is fixed within the open end of tube I by brazing or, as shown, by means of a rivet 8 or in some other suitable manner. The plug 5 is similarly shown xed in tube 2 by a rivet 5, said plug 5 having a tapped bore 5a.

The bolt shank 3b is vprovided with a longitudinal fiat 3 so that the said shank becomes substantialiy D-shaped in cross section. The operating device 6 is in the form of a disc having spigots Iia formed on the opposite faces thereof (seeA Figure 2) for entering into the open ends of the tubes i and 2 and said disc is provided with a I 4b. The thickness of the bolt head 3, the length of the bolt shank 3b and the distance between the opposing faces of the front wall |41 and the rear disc I4a are gauged so that when the head 3a of the loose bolt 3 is contacting with the rear disc I 4 of the anchorage fitting I4 and the disc 6 has been slipped over the bolt shank 3b to rest against the face of the anchorage wall I 4b at least two or three threads of said shank 3b still project beyond the front face of the disc 6. In this case the disc is shown with a knurled periphery 6t instead of the notches 6d shown in Figure A* 1, the lips of the open ends of the tube I I and centrally disposed plain aperture lih having the same cross sectional D-shape as the bolt shank 3b with a flat 6 corresponding to the bolt fiat 3.

The periphery of the disc 6 is provided with one or more notches or cross gaps Bf, the purpose for which is described later.

Alternatively as shown in Figure 3 the disc 6 may have a circular bore 6 which is made, in effect, into a D-shape in cross section by means of a pin I 0 extending transversely through the disc 6.

The action of joining together the tubes I and 2 is as follows: Assume the tubes I and 2 to be supported in axial alignment and the tube 2 free to move toward tube I. The operating disc E is slipped over the end of the bolt shank 3b so that the said disc 6 bears against the anchorage plug 4, in which position the extremity of the bolt shank 3b projects out beyond the disc 6. The tube 2 is then advanced so as to align the tapped bore 5a of its plug 5 with the projecting end oi.' the bolt shank 3*. The disc 6 is then rotated, by hand, and as it rotates it imparts a rotary motion to the bolt 3 by reason of the intertting complementai disc aperture and bolt shank. Since the bolt 3 is free to rotate in its anchorage it is screwed by virtue of the imparted rotary motion into engagement with the tapped bore 5e. of the plug 5 of the tube 2, until the bolt head i!n is in contact with the rear face of the anchorage plug 4 and the disc 6 is clamped firmly between the ends of tubes I and 2. A final tightening movement is imparted to disc 6 to bind the tubes I and 2 and the interposed disc 6 rigidly together by engaging a suitable wrench or drift with a peripheral notch 6d of said disc 6.

Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings shows jointing means according to the invention employed for connecting three tubes II to the three branches I2 of a common T-junction i3. In the case of each of the tubes II the components of the jointing means are substantially the same as those shown in Figure 1. The main difference in this construction lies in the use of an anchorage fitting I4 which combines the functions of the anchorage plug 4 and bolt abutment pin 'I shown in Figure l, said fitting I4 consisting of a cradle-like element (see Fig. 5) comprising a rear disc I4@- and a front wail I @integrally joinedto said disc I 4B by a floor I 4, the underside of which is adapted to fit snugly within the bore Ii of the tube Il. The anchorage iitting I4 is brazed or otherwise xedly secured within the open end of the tube 2. A slot iild extends in from the upper edge I4 of the wall Mb of the anchorage fitting I4, and said edge I4 terminates short of the inner surface of the tube bore I I a to provide a gap l5 through which the head 3a of the bolt 3 can be manoeuvred so as to locate said bolt head 3* behind the anchorage fitting wall junction branch I2 being received within annular grooves 68 provided on opposite faces of the disc 5. The manner of joining each tube II to the common T junction I3 is substantially the same as that of joining together the two tubes I, 2 shown in Figure 1 and accordingly no description of the joining action of the assembly shown in Figure 4 is necessary.

The invention is not limited to jointing means for interconnecting lengths of tubes or for connecting one or more tubes to a common junction member of tubular T, L or X form. Solid structural members may be joined together equally well, provided one of each of a pair of interconnected members is hollowed at one end to receive an anchorage in which the bolt or its equivalent can be rotatably mounted. By way of example, Figure 6 shows a junction member in the'form of a solid block I5 having a series of tapped holes i5a within each of which may be engaged the bolt 3 of structural member.

I claim:

1. A jointingmeans of the character specified comprising an anchorage element within the open end of a first tubular member, an externally screw-threaded element having a head at one end thereof and mounted capable of rotation and of endwise movement and having a longitudinally extending iiattened surface extending a substantial distance from the end thereof remote from said head, in relation to said anchorage element, a non-adjustable stop fixed within, and at a set distance from the open end 0f said tubular member coacting with said head to limit retraction of said screw-threaded element to ensure always projection beyond the anchorage element of at least a short length of the threaded exterior of the said screw-threaded element when it is the position in which it is arrested by said abutment, an interiorly screwthreaded plug element mounted within an opening of a second member so as to be held against retraction within said opening and operating means apertured to pass over the projecting end of the screw-threaded element, said operating means having a flattened surface therein formed so as to impart rotation to said screw-threaded element associated with the first member by coaction with the flattened surface of said screwthreaded element to draw said screw-threaded element to the former limit of its endwise movement relative to the anchorage element and to screw it into the screwed plug associated with the second member and by coaction of said head with said anchorage element thereby to effect coupling between said first and second members without bodily rotation of either of them.

2. A jointing means of the character specied comprising an anchorage element within the open end of a first tubular member, an externally threaded element having a head at one endthereof mounted capable of rotation and of endwise movement and having a longitudinally extending attened surface extending a substantial distance from the end thereof remote from said head, said anchorage element consisting of a rear disc constituting an endwise non-adjustable stop for limiting the inward endwise movement of the screw-threaded element by abutment with said head, to ensure always projection beyond the anchorage element of at least a short length of the threaded exterior of the said screw-threaded element when it is in the position in which it is arrested by said rear disc, and of a front wall interconnected to said rear disc and having a slot therein for receiving the shank oi' the headed bolt, the clearance divided between the slotted edge of said wall and the opposing interior surface of the tubular member within which the anchorage element is mounted permitting of the passage of the head of the bolt to position said head behind the wall, an interiorly screw-threaded plug element mounted within an opening of a second member so as to be held against retraction within said opening and operating means apertured to pass over the projecting end of the screw-threaded element, said operating means having a flattened surface therein formed so as to impart rotation to said screw-threaded element associated with the i-lrst member by eoaction with the attened surface of said screw-threaded element to draw said screw-threaded element to the former limit of its endwise movement relative to the anchorage element and to screw it into the screwed plug associated with the second member and by coaction of said head with said front wall of said anchorage element thereby to eiect coupling between said first and second members without bodily rotation of either of them.

GEORGE HARRY GASCOIGNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

